Cambridge English: First

Test A key and recording script

Reading and Use of English

Part 2 Answer guidelines

Part 1
1 D 2 C 3 B 4 D 5 A 6 C 7 B 8 A

2
Style
The review should be neutral but use lively language to
keep the reader interested. It would be good to use lively
expressions to praise or criticise the website. Remember, you
want the reader to choose your review to publish next month.
Content
Think of a music website that you know well and decide
what you like or do not like about it and what other people
might like about it. Think of a title that will make it clear to
the reader what your review is about. When you describe the
actual website you could add details like how easy the site
is to navigate, if it contains downloads or video clips, the
kind of music it features, whether it allows users to post their
comments, etc.

Part 2
Note: In the example the answer one is also possible;
however, students cannot write two answers in the exam.
9 with 10 On 11 So/Therefore 12 such 13 apart
14 not 15 that 16 Another
Part 3
17 reservations 18 departure 19 length
20 uncomfortable 21 variety 22 impressive
23 additional 24 especially
Part 4
25 soon as | he arrived 26 make an official | announcement
27 wish I hadnt/had not | spent 28 is/has been a week |
since 29 if/whether | she could/was able to 30 appears to
| have been
Part 5
31 B 32 A 33 C 34 D 35 A 36 B
Part 6
37 C 38 F 39 A 40 D 41 G 42 E
Part 7
43 D 44 B 45 C 46 A 47 B 48 D 49 C 50 A
51 B 52 A

Writing
Part 1 Answer guidelines
Style
The essay needs to be reasonably formal as it is always
written for the teacher. You will need to show that you
can give your opinion, with reasons, and use a range of
structures. For this task you will need to agree or disagree
with the statement, compare and contrast todays generation
with previous ones, and explain your viewpoint with reasons.
Content
You need to respond to the essay statement by covering both
of the content points given on the question paper, and by
providing one of your own. You can either agree or disagree
with the essay question but it is important that you argue
from your own point of view.
Organisation
You will need to plan your essay and present your ideas in
a logical way. Accurately using linking words and phrases,
pronouns for referencing, and paragraphs are all ways you
can make sure that your writing is well organised.

27

Organisation
Plan what each paragraph of your review is going to be
about. You will need to start with a brief description of the
site, then have a paragraph about what you like about it, and
follow that with a paragraph about things that are not so
good, or need to be improved. In your final paragraph you
could either enthusiastically recommend the site or specify
what kind of person might like/dislike the site. For example,
This site is great for young teenagers who like pop music
but maybe not so good for older listeners.
3
Style
The email should be informal as it is to a friend; however,
you will need to use a range of structures to give suggestions
and recommendations. You may also need to use a range of
tenses to tell some of the storyline of the book.
Content
The content of the email needs to be relevant to Karens
request for a suggestion of a book to read on holiday. Do not
be tempted to change the topic of the letter and start writing
about your recent holiday or family news! You will also have
to remember the fact that Karen does not want a book that is
too long or too serious. You will need to give Karen the title
of the book and its author and perhaps information about
where to get it.
Organisation
Plan what you want to say in each paragraph of your email.
You might want to start with a reference to Karens holiday
Lucky you! I wish I was going on holiday! It would be a
good idea to give Karen the title/author of the book in the
first paragraph and say when and where you read it. One
paragraph could be a short summary of the plot and the final
paragraph could be an explanation of why its such a suitable
book for taking on holiday.

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4
Style
The article should be neutral or semi-formal, but the writing
should be lively to interest the reader and encourage them
to publish your article. You will need to use a range of past
tenses to explain what happened on the day and present
perfect tenses to explain the effect on your life since then.
Content
Think of a good title for your article and make sure that you
cover all four questions asked in the input text. You are free
to add other information too, if it is relevant to explaining
why this was the happiest day of your life. But remember
you are writing about something that happened to you, not
someone else. It would be a good idea to not repeat the word
happy too many times in the article. Try to use synonyms
of happy to show a range of vocabulary.
Organisation
The questions asked in the task could be the focus of each
paragraph of your article; therefore you should write a
minimum of four paragraphs. You will need to use linking
words to organise your article and show the sequence of
events as well as cause and effect.

Listening
Part 1
1 C 2 B 3 B 4 C 5 C 6 A 7 B 8 A

One.
You hear a woman talking about joining a tennis club.
[pause]
[tone]
Woman: I play a game or two with my friend Carla
most weekends, but thats not really
enough if you want to make any real
progress as a player. I would have stayed
at my old club because it had pretty good
facilities, but quite honestly the other
members just werent very friendly, which
in the end put me off going. And to tell the
truth I was expecting much the same when
I joined this club. But in the event, I was
pleasantly surprised at just how welcoming
people were, and I now have several good
friends here.
[pause]
[tone]
[The recording is repeated.]
[pause]
Two.
You hear an advertisement on the radio.
[pause]
[tone]
Man:

Part 2
9 two/2 years 10 the coast 11 uncle 12 fear
13 passion 14 encouragement 15 (lots of) patience
16 bad weather 17 feed 18 mountains
Part 3
19 H 20 D 21 E 22 B 23 G
Part 4
24 B 25 C 26 A 27 C 28 B 29 A 30 C

Recording script
This is the Cambridge First Certificate in English Listening test.
Test A.
I am going to give you the instructions for this test. Ill
introduce each part of the test and give you time to look at the
questions. At the start of each piece, youll hear this sound:
[tone]
Youll hear each piece twice.
Remember, while youre listening, write your answers on the
question paper. Youll have five minutes at the end of the test
to copy your answers onto the separate answer sheet.
There will now be a pause. Please ask any questions now,
because you must not speak during the test.
[pause]
Now open your question paper and look at Part One.
[pause]
You will hear people talking in eight different situations. For
questions 1 to 8, choose the best answer, A, B or C.

28

Do you enjoy climbing rope ladders,

swinging from tree to tree and sliding down
cables above white-water rivers? Are you
over one metre fifty tall, physically fit and
ready for some real excitement? If so,
book now for a fabulous day out at Jungle
Fun by visiting our website at
junglefun.com, where you can take a
virtual tour of one of our centres. Reduced
admission fee for students and unemployed
young people, plus free half-hour safety
briefing for all participants by our fully
trained staff, who are specially chosen for
their skill in outdoor activities. Get here
early and beat the queues!

[pause]
[tone]
[The recording is repeated.]
[pause]
Three.
You hear a woman talking on the phone to a friend.
[pause]
[tone]
Woman: Well, it sounds like you have some serious
problems with the kids and I really wish
I could help you sort out them out, but
Im not a parent myself and I dont think
anything I could suggest would be much
help really. Id certainly like to meet up for
a chat, though, so perhaps you could call
round here after work. I had intended to go
down to the supermarket at about fivethirty, but my next-door neighbour has very
kindly offered to pick up some things for
me, so I should be in all evening.
[pause]

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[tone]
[The recording is repeated.]
[pause]
Four.
You overhear someone talking as he is leaving a football
ground.

[pause]

[pause]

[The recording is repeated.]

[tone]

[pause]

Man: Well, weve had some bad games here but

they dont come much worse than that.
Where on earth was everyones fighting
spirit? We were two goals down by half
time and half the team gave up. Back in my
playing days, I simply wouldnt have stood
for it. I mean, people pay good money to
come and watch their team and its just not
fair on supporters who expect them to at
least make some kind of effort. So, from
Monday Im giving the lot of them double
training sessions, and dropping quite a few
for the next match.

Seven.

[pause]
[tone]
[The recording is repeated.]
[pause]
Five.
You overhear two young people talking about going out.
[pause]
Male teen:

[tone]

You hear part of a radio programme about walking in the

mountains.
[pause]
[tone]
Woman: So, the first thing to remember, if youre
just going for the day, is to take a map,
something to drink and waterproof clothing.
You have to be prepared for sudden
rainstorms up there, even in summer,
and it can get pretty chilly, too. Id also
recommend, before you set off, having a
good solid meal, such as the climbers
breakfast they serve in one of the village
cafs. And dont forget to let a person you
can trust know your intended route and
likely time back. That can really help the
rescue services if you happen to get lost in
fog, or if theres a heavy snowfall.
[pause]
[tone]

[tone]
Shall we go to the cinema, then?

Female teen: I dont think theres much on this week.

How about going bowling?

[The recording is repeated.]

[pause]
Eight.

Male teen: Ive never really taken to it. And its not so
cheap, either.

You overhear a woman talking to a man about a TV remote

control.

Female teen: OK then, how about getting the bus into
town, each of us doing whatever we want
there, then meeting up again at the bus
station?

[pause]

Male teen: That makes sense. Though Ill have to be

back here by ten-thirty because Im going
out on a field trip first thing in the morning.

Woman: Sorry?

Female teen: So am I. But Id rather stay out a bit later

than that.
[pause]
[tone]
[The recording is repeated.]
[pause]
Six.
You overhear a woman talking about moving house to a
different area.

29

looking for somewhere to park and you get

car doors being slammed. Its not that its a
high-crime area or anything like that, but its
no longer my kind of place so Ive decided
its time to move on.

[tone]
Man:

Have you seen the remote?

Man: Have you seen the remote control for the

TV? That programme I want to see is on in
five minutes.
Woman: I thought you had it last.
Man: No, I havent watched anything since
Monday. Are you sure you didnt use it last
night?
Woman: Id certainly remember if I had. I think I
saw it on the couch yesterday afternoon,
though. Maybe its under one of the
cushions, or down the side. That was where
it turned up last time it disappeared.

[pause]

Man: Youre right it always seems to end up

there, doesnt it? Ill have a look now.

[tone]

[pause]

Woman: Ive been here three years now and

things certainly arent getting any better.
Sometimes, even in summer, I have to close
all the windows. Otherwise you never get a
moments peace, what with all the honking
horns. This ought to be a fairly quiet street,
but whenever the main road is busy the
police divert the traffic down here. Then,
when the nightclubs open, everyones

[tone]
[The recording is repeated.]
[pause]
Thats the end of Part One.
Now turn to Part Two.
[pause]

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You will hear a woman called Marta Kowalski giving a talk

about her work as a horse-riding instructor in the UK. For
questions 9 to 18, complete the sentences with a word or
short phrase.
You now have forty-five seconds to look at Part Two.
[pause]
[tone]
Woman: Hello, everyone. My names Marta
Kowalski, and Id like to tell you about my
work as a horse-riding instructor teaching
people to ride horses.
So ... when did I start? Well, I began
training to become an instructor when I left
school six years ago, but there was lots
to learn and difficult exams to pass, so
Ive only actually been one for two years.
You have to be 22 to get your instructors
certificate in the UK.
Im very lucky as I live and work in a
beautiful place. I used to live in a big city,
but when I started this job, I moved to a
small town. Its lovely, but a bit too far from
the forest for me thats my favourite place
to be! But its not far from the coast, and
its a perfect place for riding.

I dont spend all my working hours out with

learners. In addition to instructing, I have a
number of duties with the horses. One of
my responsibilities, for instance, is to feed
them in the mornings, which I quite enjoy.
Its also essential to wash them quite often,
and clean out where they live, but thats
done by the assistant instructors.
There are other things Id like to do apart
from being an instructor. One day Id love to
take part in a riding competition, but Im too
busy at the moment. Im planning, though,
to spend my next holiday in the south of
Spain. There are some great mountains
there, ideal for horse riding. And itll give
me a wonderful break from working!
[pause]

Ive been interested in horses since I was a

child. When I was very young, Id be around
horses every day because my uncle owned
two that he used on his farm and one
day he said my brother and I could have
a go on the smaller one. My parents were
really surprised when we told them! And
ever since then Ive felt completely relaxed
about riding.

Now youll hear Part Two again.

But that wasnt how some of my childhood

friends felt about horse riding. And
for someone whos always felt such
enthusiasm for anything to do with horses,
it was hard for me to understand why even
the sight of a horse was enough to fill some
of them with fear which I thought was
a terrible shame. So of course they never
learned to ride, sadly.

You will hear five short extracts in which people are talking
about going on a long walk. For questions 1923, choose from
the list (AH) what each speaker says about their walk. Use the
letters only once. There are three extra letters which you do
not need to use.

But I think it was because of children like

that that I eventually became an instructor. I
wanted a job involving horse riding, so that
I could pass on to people what I can only
describe as the passion I have for it. Its
wonderful to watch children on horseback
for the first time, and see their happiness.
Of course, not all children who come for
lessons are keen to get straight on a horse,
and I never put any pressure on them.
Instead I give them lots of encouragement,
which I find is far more effective at
persuading them to have a go. I even tell
them to have a little conversation with the
horse beforehand, so that they really get
to know the animal. They only get on when
they feel completely ready to.
So what qualities are needed to be a
good instructor? Well, you need to be good
at explaining things clearly, of course, and
to have good riding skills. Those are both
necessary, but above all you really cant
do this job unless you have patience, and
lots of it! Some people are slower to learn
than others, which can be tricky if youre
teaching a group.

30

Like all jobs, being an instructor has its

difficulties. Some people assume its the
long hours. But most trainees expect to
work evenings and weekends, spending
hours out of doors. Its a bit of a shock
at first, though, when you realise youll
still have to be out there despite the bad
weather we often get. But after a while you
accept it as just part of the job.

[tone]
[The recording is repeated.]
[pause]
That is the end of Part Two.
Now turn to Part Three.
[pause]

You now have thirty seconds to look at Part Three.

[pause]
[tone]
Speaker 1
[pause]
Woman: My friend Chloe and I spent Sunday
walking from one end of the forest to the
other, a distance of over 20 kilometres.
It was early spring and quite cold but we
didnt feel it at all, even though we were
under pine trees which blocked out the
sunshine and at times made it almost as
dark as night. I suppose when youre that
far into a natural environment you expect to
see all kinds of animals and birds, but there
were hardly any at all. I probably see more
creatures in my garden at home. But we
both enjoyed our walk, although after about
15 kilometres Chloe was saying it was a bit
too long.
[pause]
Speaker 2
[pause]

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Man: I reached the mountain later than Id hoped,

so by the time I was coming down I needed
to hurry to avoid having to walk in the dark.
Even in daylight you have to take care on
the part of the track where theres a sheer
drop on either side, and I had a heartstopping moment when my foot slipped
and I nearly went over the edge. Apart from
that all went well, especially the fabulous
view from the top. I wished Id taken my
camera with me, but I was travelling light,
with just essentials such as water and a
sweater in case the temperature dropped,
though in the end that turned out to be
unnecessary.
[pause]
Speaker 3
[pause]
Woman: The four of us decided to follow the river
all the way up into the hills, which meant
setting off on foot well before dawn. It was
early summer and the river was full, so
at times we were walking along a narrow
ledge high above the cold white water.
The others thought this was scary, though
I found it quite exciting. We didnt see any
fish, but there were some beautiful birds
and butterflies, as well as squirrels running
around and lizards sunbathing on the rocks.
By the time we reached the spring at the
top I was tired and my feet were sore, but
I thoroughly enjoyed every moment of our
hike, both there and back.
[pause]
Speaker 4
[pause]
Man: It was good fun following the narrow
footpath that runs along the top of the
cliffs to Western Point, although I wish
Id turned back sooner as the round trip
was a lot further than Id imagined. It was
also very misty, which meant there was no
point in taking photos and, more seriously,
sometimes made it difficult to see where
the edge of the 50-metre-high cliffs was. I
didnt think about that at the time, but now
I realise I was taking quite a risk. I got back
just before it got dark, put my sore feet
straight into hot water, had a good meal
and then slept solidly for 12 hours.
[pause]
Speaker 5
[pause]
Woman: We took the cable car from the city into
the huge parkland on the outskirts. It was
stormy and the tiny cabin we were sitting
in rocked violently in the wind, but it was
good fun. I have some photos to prove it!
From the cable-car station we headed on
foot back towards town, seeing a variety
of creatures that had been invisible from
above. It was a long way but I didnt mind
that, though we were keen to get back
before nightfall. You could easily get lost
there in the dark. Suddenly there was a
heavy downpour and soon I was shivering,
wishing Id taken a waterproof with me.
But then we reached the Metro station and
once inside, I was able to feel my fingers
and toes again.

31

[pause]
Now youll hear Part Three again.
[tone]
[The recording is repeated.]
[pause]
Thats the end of Part Three.
Now turn to Part Four.
[pause]
You will hear an interview with a woman called Eva
Kanchelskis, who is talking about her work as a writer. For
questions 2430, choose the best answer, A, B or C.
You now have one minute to look at Part Four.
[pause]
[tone]
Interviewer: I have with me this evening Eva
Kanchelskis, who writes scripts for a longrunning television drama series. Tell me,
Eva, how did you become a writer?
Eva: Well, as a child I always enjoyed writing,
and in fact I first wrote a play while I was
still at school, when I was 17. It was my
English teachers idea. He said I had talent
and he was looking for something new
to perform at the schools spring festival.
Though when Id actually written Raby
Mere he said it wasnt really suitable, and
suggested the local radio station, which
was broadcasting works by young local
playwrights at the time. I might have done
that, but the towns theatre company got in
touch with me, and they put it on instead. It
was quite well received and following that I
decided to take up writing.
Interviewer: So, after the success of Raby Mere, what
did you write next?
Eva: Actually there was gap before I moved on
to TV because I thought Id try my hand
at fiction first, so I spent the next couple
of years working on a tale about a young
woman overcoming all sorts of dangers
in the jungle. It was fun to write but it
never sold many copies, so I went back to
scripting plays for a while.
Interviewer: And since then youve written episodes for
some of the most famous TV series in the
country. Can you tell us what your main aim
is when you write a script?
Eva: Well, it mustnt be too complicated because
we want to attract new viewers every
episode, and its great if there are surprising
things happening that can really grab and
hold the audiences attention. But what
really matters is that everything comes
across as authentic speech, not the words
of actors reciting lines theyve learnt. Many
viewers will know these characters really
well, perhaps even better than members of
their own family!
Interviewer: So, apart from writing particular episodes,
whats your most important duty?

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Eva: The main one is reading through my

colleagues first drafts for other episodes,
and then giving feedback. They do the
same for my scripts, of course. Then all
of them go to the chief scriptwriter, whos
written the overall storyline and has to
make sure everything we write fits into it.
She also brings in new characters from time
to time and we have to work them into our
scripts.
Interviewer: I suppose sometimes the others can be
quite critical of what youve written. How do
you react to that?
Eva: Well, it wasnt easy at first, having people
pulling my text to bits and saying they dont
like this and that, or this wont work. I must
admit that it used to get me down and I
had some quite heated arguments. In the
end, though, I stopped taking it personally
and nowadays Ive come to see it as part
of the creative process. You need to have
a pretty thick skin to do this job, and I have
that now. Of course, in many ways its a
fantastic job. Theres so much I really like
about it.
Interviewer: What in particular do you like? Reading
good reviews in the newspapers?
Eva: Some of my colleagues cant wait to see
the papers the day after an episode, but I
never look at them. Yes, its true! And youre
never sure how the audience will react to
what youve written, either. But what I find
exciting is thinking up something really
good, and then months later it pops up
on prime-time TV and you think that was
me!
Interviewer: I imagine there are people listening to you
now and thinking Id like that to be me,
too. What would you advise them to do?
Eva: Well, to write a series properly you have to
know everything about it, so get the DVDs
and go back through every one since it
first appeared. Give up the day job if you
have one because writing part-time simply
isnt an option. And if you see it just as a
stepping-stone on your way towards writing
the scripts for huge Hollywood movies,
forget it. The series has to be all that
matters to you.
Interviewer:

Thank you, Eva.

[pause]
Now youll hear Part Four again.
[tone]
[The recording is repeated.]
[pause]
That is the end of Part Four.
Therell now be a pause of five minutes for you to copy your
answers onto the separate answer sheet. Be sure to follow the
numbering of all questions. Ill remind you when there is one
minute left, so that youre sure to finish in time.
You have one more minute left.
Thats the end of the test. Please stop now. Your supervisor will
now collect all the question papers and the answer sheets.

32

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Acknowledgements
The authors and publishers acknowledge the following sources of copyright
material and are grateful for the permissions granted. While every effort
has been made, it has not always been possible to identify the sources
of all the material used, or to trace all copyright holders. If any omissions
are brought to our notice, we will be happy to include the appropriate
acknowledgements on reprinting.
Text
Part 5 p. 9 Adapted from Is this the finest place on earth to hear the call of
the wild? by Jonathan Lorie, The Independent, 11.09.2011. Copyright The
Independent 2011;
Part 6 p. 11 Adapted from Stephen Glover for the text on p. 4 adapted from
Chips Tomorrow? The Author, Summer 2009. Reproduced with permission
of Stephen Glover.
Photos
Key: T=Top; B=Below
p.36T: micro10x / Shutterstock; p.36B: Goodluz / Shutterstock; p.37:
Stephane Ouzounoff / Getty; p.37B: Table Mesa Prod./ Getty.

33

CAMBRIDGE ENGLISH: FIRST | TEST A

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